FIRST KILRAUGHTS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYFERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS First Kilraughts congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 56 Moyan Road, Carnageeragh, Ballymoney, BT53 8NX Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105402) CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were: Rev Gary Glasgow (installed 25, November 2022) Mr Derek Brogan Mr Maurice Christie Mr Steven Glenn Mr Miles Kelly Mr Arnold Mcclure Mr Carl Mcclure Mr David Mcmillan Mr Jim Murray Mr Robert Patterson (retired from eldership March 2022) Mr Samuel Tweed PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Clerk of Session Treasurer Rev Gary Glasgow (installed Nov. 2022) Mr Maurice Christie Mrs Betty Robinson (retired March 2022) Miss Lilian Elliott (appointed March 2022) INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Mr James Wallace, D T Carson & Co., Chartered Accountants, 51-53 Thomas Street, Ballymena, BT43 6AZ BANKERS Danske Bank, 6 High St, Ballymoney BT53 6AD SOLICITORS Thomas Taggart and Sons, 27 Church Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6HS
FIRST KILRAUGHTS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT The Kirk Session The charity trustees of the congregation are the members of its Kirk Session. Under the congregation's governing document, The Code, the book of the constitution and government of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Kirk Session seeks to watch over and promote the spiritual interest of the congregation and of persons not connected with any congregation who are within its bounds. It ensures pastoral care is in place in the congregation and seeks to further the contribution of the Church to Christian witness and service in the local community. The Kirk Session has delegated to its Congregational Committee the temporal affairs of the congregation including administering all funds and property belonging to the congregation. Members of the Kirk Session are ex-officio members of the Congregational Committee. The Kirk Session consists of the ordained minister and the ruling elders of the congregations. All members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, except that the Moderator, the minister in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but only a casting vote. Stated meetings of the Kirk session are held at least twice in each year or as appropriate. To be chosen for the office of the eldership in the congregation a person must be a voting member and a regular attendant on its ordinances. The selection of those proposed to be called to the office is by the congregation. Members are elected if they obtain two-thirds of those votes. Presbytery Under the Presbyterian Church in Ireland form of governance the corporate oversight of a congregatiori IS the responsibility of a Presbytery which superintends generally the spiritual and temporal affairs of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. First Kilraughts congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Route Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists mainly of the active ministers of congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly, ministers who have retired from active duty and an elder appointed annually by the Kirk Session of the congregation.
FIRST KILRAUGHTS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) The General Assembly The General Assembly is the supreme court of the Church, representing in one body the whole Church and acting as its supreme legislative, administration and judicial authority, in dealing with all matters brought before it. The General Assembly is normally constituted during the first week in June for worship and to conduct its business. At the end of business it is dissolved. The membership of the General Assembly consists mainly of the active ministers of each congregation, retired ministers and a representative elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE The charitable purpose of the congregation is the advancement of religion. First Kilraughts congregation of the Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, as a Reformed Church within the wider body of Christ is grounded in the Scriptures, and exists to love and honour God through faith in His Son and by the power of His Spirit, and to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God's mission to our world. The congregation's mission purpose is by the grace of God, to help people of all ages become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Our vision is, by the grace of God, to be an inclusive, welcoming community of Christ's people of all ages, which: is increasingly characterised by love for God, and love and concern for others; is committed to the historic Christian gospel as revealed iri the Bible; is relevant to people of this time and place; We summarise this in the statement'To know Christ and to make Him known,. The congregation aims to live out its Mission and Vision as a family of God's people by being: A Covenant Community: where our relationships are rooted in the promises of God by living faithfully toward him and toward one another An Intergenerational Community: where adults intentionally take the lead to engage with, encourage and nurture younger members to maturity in Christ. An Outward looking Community: where we want the blessings of God that belong to us in the gospel to become blessings for others beyond the bounds of our community. As a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, we believe that the Bible is the supreme authority over all we do, and that the Westminster Confession of Faith, along with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms set out what we understand the Bible teaches on key matters of Christian faith and practice.
FIRST KILRAUGHTS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) AcfiviTIES AND OBJECTIVES The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and visitors are welcome to join. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is observed twice during the year and all those who have been baptised and who have made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are admitted to the Lord's Supper. The congregation holds regular Bible study and Prayer meetings and has a wide range of organisations including Sunday School Youth Group Bowling Club Boys, Brigade Friendship Club Presbyterian Women's Group Women's Bible Study Get Konnected Boys Club Girls Fellowship Association N.B. Members of the congregation are also involved in a week of outreach through our Holiday Bible Club activities at First Kilraughts, and Coaching for Christ- see page 5 of this report ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Worship and prayer From January to March, Worship was led each Sunday at 11.30 a.m., then from the first Sunday in April 2022, the Service time was changed to 12.00 noon. Special services, e.g., Communion Thanksgiving, Harvest Thanksgiving and Carol Services were held at 7.30pm. Praise was led by a large church choir, accompanied by pipe organ/piano and sometimes a musical group (instrumental). Children's Church facilities were available each Sunday. Mid-week prayer meetings are held every fortnight apart from July and August, where we meet for prayer at 3.00 p.m. on the first Sunday of those months. We also gave thanks for faithful service and sought to comfort those who were bereaved during the year through funeral services. At 31 December 2022 there were 200 communicant members and 150 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship was 110.
FIRST KILRAUGHTS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) Pastoral care Members of the congregation who are unable to attend church due to sickness or age are visited on a regular basis by the minister, elders or by other visitors from the congregation. A CD/DVD Ministry provides copies of the morning service and special services for those members, and most Services are also uploaded to Facebook, along with prayer points, words of encouragement and Church news. Mission and outreach At a local level the congregation reaches out to the wider community by inviting all to come and join them for worship and also to come and participate in the many groups and activities that the church provides. The Church supported the following missions and agencies during the year: Mission Africa, Presbyterian Children's Society, Royal National Institute for the Blind, Earl Haig Fund, Christian Aid, World Development Fund, Moderatorfs Appeal for Ukraine, Samaritan's Purse Show Box Appeal and the Students, Bursary Fund. The congregation supports the United Appeal for Mission which is a central fund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This fund enables congregations to support the wider mission of the denomination and to do mission and outreach on a denominational basis beyond what the congregation could do on its own. The United Appeal Fund provides financial support for mission personnel at home and overseas, assists congregations with the deployment of locally based staff and deaconesses, enables church planting, provides grant support for the upkeep of church premises, assists with the running costs of Union Theological College, the Church's training college for ministry students, and financially supports congregations in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care. Presbytery The congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by our minister and one of the elders. This provides an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church. General Assembly The minister and one of our elders would normally attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June. Property The total refurbishment of the manse, in preparation for the installation of our new minister, was carried out during the year. also fencing the manse farmland and hedging of the Church Car Park.
FIRST KILRAUGHTS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) Brief reports from Organisations: January- December Kilraughts Friendship Club is a group for'seniors" which meets on the third Tuesday of each month from September- April, attended by members of the congregation and the wider community. A varied programme of speakers addressed the group and the December programme included a Christmas lunch in The Robinson Hall. The Boys, Brigade Company at First Kilraughts (2nd Route) met from January to March completing the 2021/22 season with a Parents, Evening and Prize Distribution in the Church building in April. Anchor Boys, Junior Section and Company Section meet each Monday evening with a varied programme including Scripture, games and PE, challenges and Battalion competitions. The 2022/23 season began in October. Sunday School meet on Sunday mornings at 10.45- 11.45 a.m. each week apart from July and August and began each week with a short time of worship. There was an average attendance of 15- 20 children and young people, aged 5- 18. Children followed a Sunday School Teacher led programme called "The Gospel Project" showing kids the big picture from God's story. On occasions a speaker is invited or an 'Open Sunday School, is held. The Youth Fellowship of approximately 8 teenagers met monthly from January to April using the 'Steady' resource (from The Big House (Ireland), Limavady). In the winter season YF members attended a Youth Rally in Ballymoney. Presbyterian Women's Group meet on the second Tuesday of each month from September with a Service in March. Average attendance: 24 ladies. Meetings have included various activities and speakers aiming to encourage and to get alongside each other in faith, living for Jesus. A 'Fit for Life, programme runs during the month of May where an exercise programme is combined with an epilogue, culminating on a beach walk on the final night. A Bible Study was held on the first Tuesday each month. The Girls Fellowship Association meet weekly from May to October from 7.00- 8.30 p.m. for girls aged 4 to 15 years. 30 girls attended. Our theme for Bible study was The Fruit of the Spirit. We also had times for crafts, baking, flower arranging, litter picking and games. Bowling Club This group usually meets every week from September to April, on Thursday nights with 26 members (7 of whom are Juniors). The club entered a number of league matches and had their annual dinner for the 2021-22 season in the Lodge Hotel in April.
FIRST KILRAUGHTS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) 'Get Konnected, Boys Club This summer activity club for boys aged 8- 14 met at different locations, for a range of events, on the last Friday of each month from May- August. (l) Summer Outreach events During the first week of June the Church held outreach events at the Church- Kids at Kilraughts for PI-P3, and Coachingfor Christ (with their trained staff) at Knockahollet Primary school (P4-P7). Two of our young folks served on Summer outreach teams with Scripture Union and Exodus. (2) Volunteers The trustees wish to again acknowledge their deep appreciation of the members of the congregation who gave freely of their time by serving on committees and helping with organisations and other Church activities. They also wish to thank the generosity of the congregation in their givings to allow the Church to meet its aims and objectives in ministering to the community, e.g. the monthly support of Ballymoney Foodbank. PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT The Presbyterian Church in Ireland meets the public benefit requirement by providing benefit to its members and the general public by making known the Christian Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through the advancement of religion. The direct benefits which flow from the purposes of the Church include the gaining of an understanding in Christian beliefs as set out in the Bible and in the Church's subordinate standards (the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Shorter and Larger Catechisms) leading to spiritual and moral development and opportunities for response to Bible teaching. In turn, this framework leads to practical expressions of Christian beliefs and standards in the local community such as through the care of those in need (including the sick, disabled and bereaved). Generally the above benefits are delivered locally by congregations and their members, or are facilitated through presbyteries or are organised and delivered centrally. Local delivery is facilitated by central resources in almost all cases. Public access is made known through the use of noticeboards, printed material, press advertisement, websites, and social media or in other ways. The benefits are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the services and informal and ad-hoc feedback from members, their families, and members of the public.
FIRST KILRAUGHTS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYFERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) The purpose does not lead to harm. The only private benefit flowing from our purpose is related to Ministers, Missionaries, Deaconesses, Irish Mission workers and Lay Agents who receive benefits as a result of their holding office or employment. However, this is incidental and necessary in order to further our charitable purpose. There are no other private benefits. The beneficiaries of this purpose are members, their families, other individuals that the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is in direct and indirect contact with, the community in which pastoral services are provided and other communities throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwide which benefit from our engagement with and support for both Christian and other secular organisations, charities and individual members of the public. The Kirk Session has had regard to the Charity Commissions Public benefit requirement statutory guidance. FINANCIAL REVIEW The congregation's main source of income is members, contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 114 contributors during the year, (122 in previous year) donating a total of £66,299 (£69,032 in previous year). Total Income of the congregation during the year was £230,519, compared to £134,571 in the previous year. Total expenditure decreased from £150,936 in 2021 to £144,000 in 2022. STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements of the congregation in accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accounting practice. As the congregation's total income does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected under Section 64(3) of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 to prepare a receipts and payment account and a statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the congregation's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time its financial position. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the congregation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
FIRST KILRAUGHTS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeting on...... 2c23. and signed on its behalf by: Mr Arnold Mcclure Mr Maurice Christie Date: Date: 20£ J23